Altitude Sickness
by Robotics-girl19
Summary: Eliot warned Nate about altitude sickness. He wasn't the one they should be worrying about.
1. Chapter 1

**Did anyone else love the Long Way Down Job as much as I did? I seriously spent the entire episode going "That would make a good story... and so would that... Oo, and so would that!" **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own this.**

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><p><strong>Parker POV<strong>

She had hiked up the mountain at nearly nine thousand feet, fallen thirty feet down into a cave, escaped by pulling herself and Eliot up a thin rope, held at gun point, and now Parker wasn't feeling so great.

Honestly, Parker was exhausted. She'd had a headache since about an hour after they had started their trek, but it hadn't been so bad. It had faded when she couldn't think of anything else besides the cold soaking into her body. Now, though, it was back in full force. Her head had smacked against the floor of the cave. It didn't hit hard, but it brought her headache back and it wasn't going away this time. Her right shoulder had been aching as well since they had fallen into the cave, and even now the dull throb was getting through the cold. She was starting to lose feeling in her fingers, but she wasn't sure if that was from the injury or the plummeting temperatures.

All she could see was white. It was more discouraging than anything else. The white ground, the white sky, the white trees, the white emptiness, stretched on forever. She would have stopped long ago if it wasn't for Eliot trudging along ahead of her. His dark, moving figure was her continual goal as she did her best to keep her legs moving. They were getting stiffer and it was becoming more and more tiring for her to move them.

There didn't seem to be enough air either. She had pulled down the ski mask below her mouth and she had been breathing heavily for several minutes now. She felt just felt so weak. _Maybe this was altitude sickness_, she thought absently. She tightened her grip on the rope attaching her to Eliot. Even now he was fading out of her view. Maybe it was just the amount of snow? She glanced at one of the tree branches less than five feet away. It blurred in and out of focus. _Uh oh_.

She was in trouble. If she passed out now, they could both die. Eliot would spend too much of his energy trying to get her down the mountain and he wouldn't be as careful. One wrong move and they could both be dead in a moment. She needed to tell him that something was wrong before it was too late.

"Eliot," she called hoarsely. He didn't hear her; her voice was too weak. He kept going at full speed as she struggled along behind. "Eliot," she tried again. No response. She took a few frantic breaths. Where did all the air go? Panic took hold of Parker and it was all she could do not to give into it all together. "El—" was all she could get out before falling forward into the snow. It was instant relief to not have to move anymore. The snow was so cool on her burning face. It was so hard to think. Maybe she could just rest for a moment…

Eliot continued only two more strides before the rope pulled taut. He looked around to see her face down in the snow.

"Parker?" She didn't move. She couldn't. "Parker!" she heard him yell. She could dimly hear him rushing back to her. He sounded really worried. "Parker!" he yelled again as he turned her over. _What could he want so badly? Why can't he just leave me alone?_ She tried to open her eyes, but as soon as she did the white snow blinded her. "Hey, open your eyes," he ordered gruffly.

She did her best to follow his instruction, but even with his body casting a shadow it was still much more difficult than it should have been. She couldn't concentrate well enough to bring his face into focus for more than a few seconds. Even though he was blurry, she could tell he was worried. His brow was furrowed and he had that funny look in his eye that he usually only got when cons had gone seriously wrong.

Parker's mind was so muddled, however, that she could barely remember what was wrong. Her head hurt, that she knew for sure. Anything beyond that, however, was open to debate. She tried focusing on Eliot; he seemed pretty constant. He had already pulled off his gloves and was pressing his hand to her forehead. He nodded shortly after, indicating that she didn't have a fever.

"What's wrong, Sparky?" she asked bewilderedly from her position from the ground. He almost smiled at the nickname.

"You got altitude sickness pretty bad," he said worriedly. He glanced around before focusing back on the thief. "We've gotta get you out of here before they come back. Can you get up?" She took hold of his offered hand and he hoisted her to her feet. She forced a smile and let go of his hand only to get extremely dizzy and lightheaded. She started falling backwards but he caught her. "Whoa," he said in surprise. "You okay?"

Parker tried her best to answer but could only shake her head. The edges of her vision were graying and she could only see Eliot through a haze. A dull roar echoed in her ears and although she could tell Eliot was saying something more, she couldn't understand him. She felt herself being lowered into a sitting position in the snow.

**Eliot POV**

Parker didn't release her death grip on his arm until she was securely sitting on the ground again. Her head fell back against the snow when she didn't have the strength to hold it up any longer. She looked up at him with glazed but trusting eyes.

How was he going to get her out of here?

The snow was too deep for him to carry her anywhere, but she was too weak to move on her own. She needed oxygen and rest which was in the supply tent they had passed earlier. Eliot couldn't see the tent, but he knew it wasn't more than five hundred yards up the mountain. That would mean leaving Parker and bringing back oxygen for her so she could climb back up herself. Eliot cringed at the idea of leaving the thief alone.

His thoughts drifted back to what he had told Parker just an hour before. _We do things they can't. Won't. It makes us…us._

Just because he could do it didn't mean he wanted to, though. It was one thing to leave a dead body to save his own life, but it was another to leave a helpless girl on the mountain, even if he was returning quickly. This move would probably save both of their lives, but that didn't make his decision to abandon her any easier.

Parker watched him carefully as he knelt down next to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said cautiously. "I could probably keep going." Eliot immediately shook his head.

"You're feeling better because you're lying down. Once you stand up, all the blood will leave your head and you might pass out. I'm going to go back to the supply tent and get you an oxygen tank." He waited for her response, knowing it might take longer than usual for her to process what he was saying. Finally, her eyes widened slightly. "I'll be right back. Okay?"

"Yeah, just hurry," Parker said weakly. She blinked rapidly as a gust of wind pushed the snow into her face. She tried to brush it out of her face only to have more snow from her gloves cover her face. Eliot could tell she was feeling sicker again when she got visibly frustrated at her inability to wipe the snow away. He didn't want to patronize the thief, but her appreciation was obvious when he tugged off his glove and brushed the snow off. "Come back quick."

Eliot did one more thing for her before leaving. He built up a small wall in the snow just above Parker's head to prevent snow from blowing directly into her face. She smiled at his actions and he started back up the hill.

Every step took more effort than the one before. Every step took him further away from the thief.

What if the Russian came back and found her? What if she got sicker? Eliot did his best to push the troubling thoughts out of his head. _Focus on the task at hand_, he thought over and over. Hardison spoke continually in his ear, but Eliot tuned him out. He was obviously worried about Parker too, but he was also busy helping Sophie and Nate. Very little of what Hardison was saying applied to him, so he ignored him completely. It was easier to concentrate that way.

It was hard enough concentrating as it was. The snow was still whipping across the mountain and the temperatures kept dropping as the day dragged on. Even the hitter's strength was starting to wane. Parker would laugh if he told her that. She seemed to hold strongly to the belief that he was invincible. He wasn't entirely sure why, but she seemed to find security in this idea so he never told her straight out that it was a lie. He didn't want to crush one of the few true joys the thief had in her life. He knew that deep down she knew it wasn't fully true, but neither side had breached that conversation and until she did he wasn't going to bring it up.

Eliot was feeling a little lightheaded by the time he reached the supply tent. He pulled off his glove and opened up the tent, darting inside for a few moments of relief from the biting wind. He searched through the medical supplies and found the oxygen mask and tank. He took a few breaths of oxygen and his lightheadedness faded almost immediately. _Good._ He rested only a moment longer before slinging the entire device over his shoulder and heading back into the snow. The wind and snow immediately started biting into his exposed skin. He pulled his coat a little tighter and started back down towards Parker. The second trip was easier, but he still had to stop to breathe in some oxygen.

Eliot almost missed Parker in all the never ending white. The thief was already covered in a thin layer of snow and he actually passed her and had to hike back up about twenty feet. She had turned sideways and covered her face with her hand. Eliot knelt down beside the mostly unconscious thief and immediately placed the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth.

She took in several breaths before she coughed and sat up, her eyes flying open. She started batting at the mask, clearly disoriented. For all she knew it was the Russian coming back to finish her off. She fought with all could, which wasn't much since her oxygen deprived muscles were basically useless.

"Hey," he said, still holding the mask tightly to her face. She continued trying to force the strange object out of her face. "Hey, Parker," Eliot said again. "Stop." Her fighting hands slowed and she looked at him closer. He saw the moment when recognition dawned on her. "Hey," he said again, softer. "You're safe. It's just me."

She smiled. The oxygen was obviously driving away the altitude sickness.

"When you're feeling better, we have to get you back up to the supply tent. We can wait there until Hardison sends a rescue team up for us."

"I'm feeling better now," she said, clearly ready to get out of the open snow field. She didn't like being vulnerable for so long, even with the hitter by her side.

"No you're not," Eliot disagreed. "Wait a little longer and rest. Then we can head back up. I don't want you passing out on me again." The area they were in currently was slightly more protected by trees. Even just twenty feet away, the wind and snow were stronger.

"Fine," she said like a little kid finally giving in. Eliot moved above her on the hill to protect her from the whipping snow. "And you'll make me hot chocolate after this, right?"

"Yes, Parker," he laughed. "I will make you hot chocolate. And some good food to go along with that too." She smiled at this and reconciled herself to waiting for Eliot's approval to move.

Eliot waited until some color had returned to Parker's pale face before he gave permission for her to move. She had gone so pale earlier that it was almost hard to tell her skin apart from the snow. Some pink was returning to her cheeks now and her eyes were looking more alert again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he removed the oxygen mask.

"Fine," she said again. She probably was feeling fine. It wasn't going to be until she stood up that the symptoms came back.

"Alright, let's try this again." He stood up and extended his hand to her. He grasped her hand tightly and pulled her to her feet. "Still good?"

"Yeah," she answered immediately and smiled. Eliot saw the color drain out of her face. He wrapped an arm around her and supported her when she swayed unsteadily. She recovered after a moment, however, and let go of him. "I'm good."

"You sure?" he asked, holding up the mask in case she needed it.

"Yeah, of course. Let's go." Eliot slung the oxygen tank and mask over his shoulder and looped a rope between his gear and hers. He knew the thief well enough to know that she wouldn't use the oxygen during their trek. She would want to complete her goal and not stop part way through.

"Stick close. And just yell or give the rope a tug if you get sick again." He waited for her response, a nod, and then set off at a slow pace through the snow. The rope pulled taut twice, but Parker never collapsed like she had earlier. He would slow down or stop and she would catch up after a few moments. Eliot could tell she was weakening again, but they only had about a hundred feet to go and he knew he would be able to take care of her better there than out here.

They reached the tent just as Parker was about to give in. While Eliot was unzipping the tent, Parker fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"Hang on, Parker." He didn't wait for her to recover this time. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her inside the tent. Parker went limp against Eliot when he had pulled her completely in, the last of her adrenaline exhausted. "Parker," he said seriously, tapping her face before grabbing the oxygen mask again. "Hey, stay with me." She frowned and rocked her head back and forth. "That's it, good." Full awareness came back to Parker after several more minutes.

"So now what?" the thief asked after Eliot helped her lie down along the side of the tent. She turned sideways to face him.

"Now we wait here until Hardison sends someone for us. Or until you feel good enough to hike down."

"How long would it take to get back?"

"Maybe about a half hour or forty five minutes. There is one more tent we could stop at." Eliot saw her start planning almost immediately after he said that. She kept forgetting that even though she was feeling fine now, the sickness could come back in an instant. "But we aren't going anywhere," he said, interrupting her thoughts, "until I talk with Hardison and know that you can make it." Parker crossed her arms like a little kid. Eliot ignored her and checked in with Hardison. Hardison had been listening to Eliot and Parker's conversations the entire time, but he couldn't hear everything and Eliot had been ignoring him.

"Eliot!" Hardison exclaimed in excitement. "Are you and Parker okay?"

"Mostly. Parker got altitude sickness pretty bad but she's fine. We're camped out in one of the tents. We're going to need a rescue team. I don't want to come down with just the two of us. If Parker gets sick again, we could be in trouble.

"Okay, you guys sit tight. I'll round up a group and get them up there." He still sounded worried, but he was managing his fear quite well. "The con went perfectly by the way. Alan got back at Drexel. Drexel's going to jail." Eliot let out a long, satisfied breath causing Parker to look at him.

"What?" she asked.

"We got Drexel. He's going to jail." A smile broke out on her face.

"I'll get someone out to you soon," Hardison said to Eliot before focusing back on whatever he was doing.

"He's sending a team out for us, but it could be awhile." Eliot settled in beside Parker, who put her head on his shoulder. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," she replied for a third time. "I feel kinda funny. My head still hurts and I feel… off."

"You're probably dehydrated." He grabbed a water bottle and an enlarged hand warmer. After opening the hand warmer, he placed it against the frozen water bottle and waited for the ice inside to melt. After it was an acceptable temperature, he handed it to Parker. She opened it and took a long drink, draining nearly half of it. Then she held it out to Eliot expectantly.

"You're probably dehydrated too," she said anxiously. He took the water bottle and drank the rest of it after making sure there was another for her to drink later.

Come to think of it, he wasn't feeling his best either. Now that he was resting, a headache was beginning to form. Having worked in high altitudes before, though, he knew that it was just altitude sickness. A little bit of rest and it would fade.

He handed her another warmed water bottle. She looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"Drink it," he ordered firmly. She gave in and drank a third of it and then put her head back on his shoulder. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. After awhile, her eyes closed and she fell into a light sleep.

It still amazed Eliot how much she trusted him. Parker had issues; the entire team knew that. He was just beginning to realize how much they underestimated the effect those issues had on the thief, though. He realized then that he had only ever seen her asleep once or twice before, and that was usually involuntary on her part. She had either been medicated or injured. Now, though, she was willingly letting herself fall asleep in his presence. Maybe it was because there was no one else on the mountain that she considered a threat, or maybe she truly did trust him to protect her even when she let her guard down.

Either way, Eliot was going to make sure she made it off this mountain in one piece.

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><p><strong>What did you think? I hope it wasn't too OOC...<strong>

** Just hit the little Review button! C'mon, you can do it! I know you can!**

**I'm almost done with the final chapter too. More reviews = faster update!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Final chapter! Thanks to all those that have reviewed! Reviews are love! I'm hoping to have another story out in the next week or so, but I haven't gotten far on it, so if anyone has a good Eliot/Parker-with-a-sibling-type-relationship idea, let me know! **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Leverage**

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><p><strong>Eliot POV<strong>

The team Hardison sent for them arrived about an hour later. The team consisted of four men, all equipped with food, water and oxygen in case either the hitter or the thief needed them. Hardison hadn't mentioned anything to them about their mission to get the notebook or finding Alan. He had just told them that they had started climbing the mountain and Parker had gotten sick.

When Eliot heard them tramping through the snow, Parker still had her head contently on his shoulder. She had woken up nearly forty five minutes ago, but hadn't budged from her position. Eliot knew that she was seeking comfort and possibly warmth and he wasn't going to do anything to mess that up. He was quite happy where he was at.

But he also knew that they would be in trouble if they didn't get back before the sun went down. It was common knowledge that the winds picked up during the night and the temperatures dropped significantly. Even the tent wouldn't protect them from the cold. So when the team approached the tent, Eliot roused Parker.

"Time to go darlin'."

She picked her head up and looked at him with a drowsy expression. She hadn't been fully conscious and hadn't heard the climbers' approach.

"It's time to go back to the base camp. The rescue team has arrived."

Her mind was working slower than normal and she was still getting her wits about her when one of the rescue team members tugged open the zipper. He poked his head inside.

"Mind if we come in for a bit?" he asked with a smile. Eliot waved them in.

The first guy looked nice enough. He was a red head in his mid twenties with freckles splashed across his face Eliot remembered seeing the second guy briefly back at the base camp. If he remembered correctly, this guy had known Alan and was named Bryce. The third guy Eliot also recognized, but only vaguely. Eliot knew he had military training by the way he sat. It was a very distinctive position. The fourth guy Eliot didn't recognize, but by the way he handled himself, he was a very experienced climber.

"How are you two holding up?" Bryce asked.

"We're ready to get back," Eliot replied.

"Well you're in good hands," the redhead said. "Evan and Jacob," he indicated the third and fourth guy respectively, "are both experienced climbers along with myself and Bryce. My name is Andrew, by the way." Eliot liked Andrew. He didn't seem to be hiding anything, which was refreshing considering his line of work. "So how are you feeling?" he asked Parker.

She shrugged.

"I'm okay."

"She gets sick when she exerts herself too much," Eliot added quickly. "It's the altitude."

"That gets lots of people," Jacob said. "How bad did it hit you?" Parker started shrugging again but Eliot overrode her.

"She almost passed out earlier." All four of the guys frowned.

"Not fun," Andrew said worriedly. "But you've been fine for awhile?"

"Yeah," she replied. Andrew looked to Eliot for confirmation. He nodded.

"When we head out again, we'll go slow." Then Andrew turned to Eliot. "Are you doing okay with the altitude?"

"For the most part. I've had a headache for awhile, but I'm doing okay."

"Good. Are you ready to head out?"

Eliot and Parker both agreed and they gathered up the few supplies that they had. Parker ended up carrying almost nothing and Eliot ended up with very little. Andrew went first, followed by Eliot and Evan and then Parker. Bryce and Jacob claimed the end of the train so they could watch over the rest of them.

They walked in single file in order to avoid getting separated. Andrew and Jacob both had ear buds that they used to keep in constant contact with each other. Jacob helped Andrew adjust his speed and told him when to stop if any of them needed a break.

At Jacob's request, Andrew found a sheltered place for them to take a break about half of the way down. Eliot kept his back to the wind, but he stood in a position where he could watch Parker. Evan, Andrew and Jacob all stood above Eliot and Parker, creating a small shield for them from the snow. Bryce handed her an oxygen tank, which she only used for a minute or two before handing it back.

Like Eliot expected, Parker endured her tiredness quietly. She wasn't one to complain. At least not about her real problems or discomforts. It was a well known fact that Parker would complain about boredom until Hardison finally gave her a hypothetical building to break into in under a certain amount of time. She would often figure those games out pretty quickly and Eliot would have to entertain her by teaching her to cook or fight. Real things, however, could remain a secret until they noticed that the thief was quieter than normal. Sickness and injuries had to be sought out.

Therefore, Eliot kept a close eye on Parker. She seemed pretty alert, though, so when they started off again he didn't worry too much. There were four other men that knew how to handle themselves and would help her if she needed it. Even so, he continually listened for her increased panting or the loud crunching of snow that would indicate that she had fallen. He didn't hear either of these sounds, however, and they continued without incident.

Nate and Sophie were waiting for them at the base camp, but Hardison was nowhere in sight. Both Eliot and Parker submitted to a hug from Sophie; even the rescue team members received hugs. Nate didn't express his anxiety as much as Sophie did, but he still clapped Eliot on the back.

"Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back. Are we ready to go back to Boston?"

"Hardison is getting us a helicopter and we already have plane tickets for tomorrow. I want you two to rest before we get on the plane." Eliot had heard of people getting sick on planes because of the thinner air in the cabin. Although it was pressurized, it still wasn't quite as thick as at sea level. Even so, Eliot couldn't wait to get back home and spend some time resting on his own terms.

**Parker POV**

It had been such a long day and Parker was ready to go home. Now that she was safe at the base camp with her team, Parker finally had time to think about the last few hours.

She realized as she was standing next to her team that throughout the entire ordeal the only time she had been truly scared was when Eliot had left her to get the oxygen tank. The rest of the time she had been confused, nervous and in pain, but she hadn't ever been sincerely afraid. As this realization dawned on Parker, she paused. She had trusted Eliot to take care of her. She had completely and entirely trusted him. Even though he was protecting her from the weather and the altitude, something he couldn't control at all, she had never doubted that she would be fine.

This was a real threshold for Parker. She couldn't remember one time in her entire life that she had trusted one person so much. Yes, she trusted the team to take care of her, but she always had some control over the situation, just in case. She always had her harnesses hidden around the apartment, just in case she needed to leave quickly. Or flee. Up on the mountain, it had never once occurred to her to leave Eliot and try to make it on her own though.

In the past, abandoning the job to take care of herself was always the answer, whether she had partners or not. As far as she knew, her partners had escaped each time. She had only ever worked with other people once or twice before her current team, and those encounters hadn't gone very well. The first time she had barely gotten out alive and the second time she had gotten out fine, but with nothing to show for it.

When she first met the Leverage team, she thought of leaving right then and there. Hardison looked like a college kid with way too much time on his hands and Eliot… Eliot looked like a thug that could attack her at any moment. Unlike Hardison, he was always very focused and serious. For a normal job, this would be an asset. Eliot's stature and obvious ability to fight made Parker very nervous around him though.

Now, however, those exact same features brought her a sense of protection and security. If Eliot was near her, there was no doubt in her mind that he would do whatever he had to to keep her safe. Even if that meant taking damage himself. That was the part that always floored Parker. It was completely against her nature to let any harm come to her, but it was literally his job to through himself between her and anyone else who would want to hurt her. It wasn't just a job to him though, she realized. It was his lifestyle, his personality. Even when there wasn't a real threat of danger, Eliot was always nearby ready to be her brother, cousin, boyfriend, or even on some occasions a stalker to get rid of any guys that were trying to flirt with Parker.

A soft touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality. It was Jacob, who wanted her to see the camp doctor just in case. When the rest of the team followed a few minutes later, she was sitting with the doctor who was looking her over. The doctor claimed that she would be fine and it was just a bad case of altitude sickness. He had also looked at her shoulder, which was just bruised. Parker wasn't accustomed to letting others check her for injuries, though, and that combined with the unknown environment and situation left her agitated. She kept glancing around nervously and looked like she was ready to bolt. The doctor was just starting to talk with Jacob, but was also including Parker in the conversation. Although unintentional, he was preventing her from leaving. Nate came to her rescue.

"I think we need to get out of here," he said smoothly. "Our helicopter is coming soon and we need to pack up." The look Parker gave him was one of pure gratitude.

"Oh, of course," the doctor said. He seemed to just realize that Parker was not fully comfortable. "By all means go. Have a safe trip and get better soon." Parker took Nate's hand and he led her out of the tent and over to Hardison's tent. Eliot went to the main tent to double check that Drexel had indeed been taken into custody.

"We're going to make sure that everything worked out with Drexel," Sophie said. "We'll see you later, okay?" Parker knew it was their excuse to give her and the hacker some time to themselves. She smiled and nodded, allowing them to leave without question.

She entered the tent hesitantly. Hardison was sitting on his computer booking hotel rooms for the night with two or three orange soda bottles scattered around him. A cautious smile broke out on his face when he saw her.

"Hey," he said as he hurried over to her, originally intending to give her a hug but stopping just before, unsure of what she would accept.

He raised his hand for her to fist bump, then opened it for a high five, and then opened his arms for a hug. She didn't respond right away and he lowered his arms slowly. The next moment, she was hugging him tightly.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," he said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're okay." She buried her face in his shoulder; he tightened his grip.

"It's been a long day," she mumbled.

"I know, baby girl, I know," he said comfortingly. "Our helicopter is on its way. We'll be back at sea level in a matter of hours. You'll feel better once we get you some real rest."

"I feel fine," she protested immediately.

"I'm sure you do," he said quietly, not believing her at all. Physically, she probably felt fine, but emotionally and mentally she was a wreck. And she had good reason to be. He would just have to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't try anything too strenuous. They sat down on one of the trunks and Hardison was surprised when she didn't make any move to pull away from him.

The rest of the team walked in and found them still sitting there ten minutes later. Hardison jumped and started to remove his arm, but Parker grabbed it and held it in place. Sophie gave them a sweet smile and Nate pretended not to see and went right back out to check on the helicopter while Eliot set about gathering up the last of their supplies.

"Hey, man," Hardison said worriedly. "Don't forget my laptop."

"I know Hardison," Eliot growled, but Parker knew he wasn't angry.

Nate came running in a few minutes later.

"The helicopter is here," he reported.

"Are we all ready?" Sophie asked, surveying the tent to make sure they didn't forget anything. They all gave some form of agreement and they all filed out of the tent. Hardison kept his arm around Parker.

"C'mon," he said casually. "Let's go home."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed my alternate ending! <strong>


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